Is it possible to give chewing gum to children? Harm and benefit for the child. Is it possible to give chewing gum to children: benefit or harm?

Since ancient times, people have been chewing something: the ancient Greeks - the resin of the mastic tree, the Mayans - rubber, the Siberians - larch resin, and in India - a mixture of aromatic leaves. All these “chewing gums” added aroma and freshness to the breath, eliminated unpleasant odors, cleaned the teeth, massaged the gums, and simply left a pleasant taste in the mouth. After the discovery of America, chewing tobacco appeared in Europe and became very widespread.

But this is all background. And the story chewing gum began on September 23, 1848, when the world's first factory for its production appeared. Factory founder John Curtis made a chewing mixture from resin coniferous trees with added flavors. But the first attempt to make chewing gum on an industrial scale was not successful. Nevertheless, the history of chewing gum begins its countdown from the founding of the factory.

Interesting

Since the early 1970s in the USSR, chewing gum candy wrappers and “inserts” with pictures, stickers and transferable tattoos have been collectible objects among schoolchildren.

On June 5, 1869, a dentist from Ohio patented his chewing gum recipe. And in 1871 Thomas Adams received a patent for the invention of a machine for the production of chewing gum. It was at his factory that, 17 years later, the famous “Tutti-frutti” - the chewing gum that conquered all of America - would be produced.

Since then, chewing gum has undergone many metamorphoses: it changed colors and tastes, was produced in the form of balls, cubes, butterflies, etc. and took a very important place in the lives of young people in the second half of the 20th century, and even today remains very popular.

13 facts about chewing gum

1. Chewing gum helps you lose weight. American scientists have discovered that the process of losing weight is facilitated by the use of chewing gum - it speeds up metabolism by as much as 19%.

Chewing gum also helps reduce appetite - chewing stimulates nerve endings, which transmit a signal to the brain area responsible for satiety.

2. Chewing gum affects memory. There is active debate about the effect of chewing gum on memory. Thus, psychologists from England have found that chewing gum worsens short term memory, which is needed for immediate orientation. A person may quickly forget the price of a product that he just held in his hands, or lose the keys in the apartment. According to scientists, any monotonous unconscious movement has a detrimental effect on it, that is, the person becomes more absent-minded.

But scientists from the University of Newcastle (USA) believe that when chewing, the activity of the parts of the brain responsible for memory increases, insulin production and heart rate increase, which means that a person thinks much better. Japanese researchers came to the same conclusion. During their experiment, chewing reduced the time it took subjects to complete tasks; chewers completed them 10% faster than those who did not chew gum.

3. Chewing gum is useful. During chewing, salivation increases, which helps clean the teeth; gums are also massaged, which to some extent prevents periodontal disease.

4. You can chew gum for no more than 5 minutes and only after eating. These are the recommendations of experts. Chewing gum longer will cause secretion. empty stomach gastric juice, which contributes to the development of stomach ulcers and gastritis.

5. Chewing gum is not a substitute for brushing your teeth. Dentists are confident that chewing gum cannot replace proper teeth cleaning. And even if you don’t have a toothbrush at hand, replace it better water rinsing your mouth.

6. Chewing gum does not protect against tooth decay. Caries does not appear on the chewing surfaces, but on the interdental surfaces, so there is no benefit from chewing gum for the prevention of this disease.

7. Chewing gum is harmful to teeth. It destroys fillings, crowns and bridges. Destruction has both a mechanical effect on the teeth and a chemical one - saliva, which is formed during the chewing process, contributes to the formation of alkali, which corrodes fillings.

8. Chewing gum helps you recover faster after colon surgery. This occurs due to the activation of hormones digestive system while chewing. Thus, in the UK, when treating patients after intestinal surgery, it is recommended to chew gum for 30 minutes in the morning, lunch and evening. This helps patients quickly return to eating regular food and reduces postoperative period. This effect of chewing gum is explained by the fact that when chewing, the secretory and motor activity of the intestine is reflexively stimulated.

9. Chewing gum is soothing. And also is good remedy during stress, improves concentration. “This was proven by English scientists from Northumbria University. Chewing gum plays the role of a “simulator”, allowing many to relive the most blissful moments of their lives, when they were still eating mother's milk. People switch off from anxiety,” explains psychoanalyst Alexander Genschel.

10. Chewing gum doesn't help get rid of bad smell from mouth. It has such a short-term effect that it can generally be called useless.

11. Chewing gum contains a dangerous substance. Aspartame is a sweetener, the substance was invented in 1965 and still arouses suspicion among doctors. The fact is that when aspartame breaks down in the body, two amino acids are formed - asparagine and phenylalanine, as well as a very dangerous alcohol - methanol. In certain concentrations, methanol is dangerous for pregnant women and affects the normal development of the fetus. In addition, methanol turns into carcinogenic formaldehyde.

12. Chewing gum should not be given to children and pregnant women. American neurologist John Olney proved the dangers of glutamate - it is an amino acid and a food additive that enhances taste. He discovered the phenomenon of excitotoxicity: death nerve cells due to their overexcitation caused by glutamate and aspartame. According to the scientist, these substances pose a great danger to the developing brain, which means during pregnancy and then until adolescence. The periods when you should definitely give up chewing gum are the last 3 months of pregnancy and the first 4 years of life.

13. There was always chewing gum! Archaeologists have found pieces of prehistoric resin in Northern Europe with imprints of human teeth, which date back to the 7th-2nd millennium BC. The ancient Greeks chewed the resin of the mastic tree, the Indians chewed the resin of conifers, and the Mayan tribes chewed chicle.

What can replace chewing gum?

Resin

The ancient Greeks chewed the resin of the mastic tree to freshen breath and cleanse the mouth. The Mayans used the frozen juice of the Hevea tree for the same purpose - rubber, and the North American Indians chewed the resin of coniferous trees, which was evaporated over a fire. In Siberia, larch resin is still often chewed; at first it crumbles, but then, after chewing for a long time, it gathers into a single piece. It not only cleans your teeth, but also strengthens your gums. They also often chew the resin of cherries, pine trees, spruce trees... But this requires very good and strong teeth. In Soviet childhood, we chewed tar - but this, of course, is the most extreme option.

Zabrus and beeswax

Since ancient times, bee products have been another natural chewing gum. Honeycomb covers - zabrus - are not so convenient to chew, because they crumble in the mouth, but they are very useful, since they also contain bee saliva, and honey, and a little bee venom, which bees use to seal honeycombs. In the zabrus - high concentration vitamins A, B, C, E, almost everything is there necessary for a person microelements and very rare view fats secreted by bee glands.

Coffee beans

You can freshen your breath not with chewing gum, but with... coffee. You need to chew a few grains, this will remove all unpleasant odors, for example, garlic or alcohol. The fact is that coffee beans contain substances that destroy bacteria - the cause unpleasant odors. In addition, coffee in small quantities is beneficial - it invigorates and improves memory.

Mint and parsley leaves

Chewing gum is often chewed to silence the stomach, which requires food. Actually it's quite harmful occupation, since using chewing gum on an empty stomach can lead to gastritis or aggravate existing ones stomach diseases. To suppress the feeling of hunger and, by the way, freshen your breath, you can chew a mint leaf or a sprig of parsley. These herbs are rich essential oils and vitamins, they won’t do any harm, but their appetite will be dulled.

Chewing marmalade

Sweet and useful replacement chewing gum - chewing marmalade. It is easy to prepare it yourself, and if you use molds or cut out figures from it, then this marmalade can distract your child from chewing gum in bright wrappers.

To prepare chewing marmalade you will need fruits (apples, pears), sugar, water, vegetable or olive oil. You need to peel the fruits, turn them into puree, and cook them with sugar and water. When this mixture has cooled and caramelized, grease a wooden board vegetable oil and put fruit puree on it, cover it with gauze. In summer, this mass can be placed wherever they fall Sun rays. After some time, cut it into slices.

In fact, the age of the “first chewing tests” is indicated by the composition of the chewing gum itself. With the exception of permissible and natural additives, the composition may contain preservatives, dyes and stabilizers. Up to 4-5 years they cannot be present in the child’s diet. But even after this age, preference should be given to “children’s” chewing gum without sugar and with a minimum of synthetic additives. Also look for calcium lactate in the composition. It restores microdamage to tooth enamel and is best absorbed from saliva.

What else needs to be done to make chewing gum useful?

Chewing gum is a mouth or, more precisely, teeth cleaner with excellent adhesive properties, which means use it only when you don’t have a toothbrush.

Chewing gum is a salivation stimulant, and salivation is useful not only during meals, but also after. Saliva and its alkalis perfectly neutralize the acidic environment of food residues. By the way, the release of saliva after eating a large volume also enhances gastric secretion, which means digestion is faster and easier.

Chewing gum is an excellent exercise for the jaw muscles and gums.

To achieve your goals, 3-15 minutes of chewing after eating is enough.

• Unnecessary dyes and flavors can cause allergic reaction and, as a result, atopic dermatitis;
• “Adult” chewing gum with increased stickiness will damage weak children’s tooth enamel;
• Sugar in chewing gum will provide the basis for nutrition and active work carious bacteria in the children's oral cavity;
• Chewing for more than 15 minutes with continuous salivation will cause an increase in acidity, and in the absence of food, the stomach will begin to “break down” its own mucous membranes and flora. Chewing gum before or instead of eating has the same properties.
• Using chewing gum as “play dough” and then putting it back in your mouth will cause infection and worm infestation. If your child chews gum, he may remove it from his mouth with his hands only to throw it in the trash.

What to do if a child swallows chewing gum?

Make sure that he swallows it and that it does not get into Airways. Those. the child’s breathing is not changed, not faster, his behavior has not changed, as well as his external state.

Watch the child, because the components of the gum can lead to an allergic reaction.

Once in the gastrointestinal tract, like any product, chewing gum is digested and broken down as much as possible, everything else is excreted from the body. Against the background of this process, the child should not have increased gas formation, stomach pain, vomiting, constipation. If this occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor and probably perform an ultrasound.

If a child regularly swallows chewing gum, then access to this product should be strictly prohibited!

By the way, regular use of chewing gum is preventive measure and one of the ways to care for the oral cavity, and not an alternative to a scheduled visit to the dentist every 6 months.

When buying chewing gum, you should think about what is the harm of chewing gum and what is the benefit. Snacks while traveling in the subway or car, on the street or in a cafe. Situations arise when brushing your teeth after eating is not possible.

There is a business meeting or a date ahead and you need a pleasant breath.

Chewing gum composition

Plunging into the past, you understand that since ancient times people have been chewing something: before this chewing mass was made of resin or a mixture of leaves. Different kinds Chewing gum helped remove food debris, strengthened gums, and developed chewing muscles.

The first chewing gum in production was made from the resin of coniferous trees. The product did not gain wide popularity - it had an unattractive appearance, and there were pine needles in the elastic band. The composition changed, new technologies were created, new substances were added. To create an attractive look and taste, each manufacturer was looking for the perfect recipe.

The basis of modern chewing gum is rubber or latex. To make chewing gum attractive appearance and an alluring aroma, sugar or its substitutes, natural and artificial flavors, various dyes and flavor enhancers are used. At long-term use, chemical additives, artificially derived, negatively affect the body, causing complications or causing problems various organs life.

Compound:

1. Sugar. A substance that can provoke the development of caries. Bacteria in oral cavity, digesting sugar, they form. The strength of tooth enamel decreases under the influence of acid.
2. Xylitol, sorbitol. Natural sweeteners, used in the manufacture of products for patients with diabetes. These are safe food additives, but their constant use leads to bloating and gastrointestinal disorders.
3. Aspartame. A synthetic sugar substitute with a sweet taste, it is a source of phenylalanine. This substance, when entering the body, leads to disruption hormonal balance. Aspartame has the ability to accumulate in the body.
4. Titanium dioxide. A dye used to give chewing gum a snow-white color. There is no information on how dangerous it is, but experiments prove that titanium dioxide can trigger the development of cancer.
5. Glycerol. It is considered a relatively safe substance, however, due to its ability to draw water from the body.

This is far from full composition modern chewing gum. Manufacturers add various food additives to the composition of their products, based on the goal that needs to be achieved: attractive appearance, unique taste, stretchability for inflating bubbles.

Why is chewing gum harmful?

TV screens claim that chewing gum is good for teeth and gives fresh breath; chewing it is recommended between meals. How harmful is it to chew it all the time?

Consequences of long-term use:

• Promotes tooth decay. If you chew gum often and for a long time, pressure occurs on fillings and crowns. The gum sticks to the surface of the teeth, destroying them. Constant chewing provokes the development of dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, and in children it disrupts the bite.
• Harmful to the stomach. During the process of chewing gum, active secretion of saliva occurs, and the body receives a signal to additionally produce gastric juice. If you chew it on an empty stomach, this process can provoke the development of ulcers and gastritis of the stomach.
• Harmful to pregnant women. Nutritional supplements The gum contained in the composition provokes overexcitation and death of nerve cells and poses a great danger to the development of the fetus.
• Reduces concentration. The rubber band affects the performance of unconscious actions, deteriorating short-term memory.
• Not recommended for breastfeeding. Contained in chewing gum chemical substances, getting into mother's milk, negatively affect the newborn baby.

Chewing gum does not contain substances that directly have harmful effects on the body. Harm to health can be caused by uncontrolled and excessive chewing.

The benefits of chewing gum

If the harm of chewing gum is so great, why do adults and children buy it? Chewing gum, when used in moderation, is truly beneficial. It is worth adhering to simple rules.

1. Chewing gum can really cleanse your mouth of food. When it is not possible to use toothbrush Chewing gum will help. For getting positive effect It is enough to chew it for five minutes.
2. When chewing gum, gums are massaged and periodontal disease is prevented.
3. Use it after meals. The chewing process promotes the production of saliva and stimulates the digestion process.
4. Although not for long and not as effective as the advertisement says, mint pads add freshness to your breath and make it pleasant.
5. Regular chewing is soothing nervous system, helps with stress.
6. Chewing gum is not a treat; to maintain oral hygiene, you must take precautions and use it only when necessary.

Chewing gum addiction

People who often experience stress are advised to chew something. If you eat high-calorie foods, this can lead to weight gain. excess weight. The calorie content of chewing gum is scanty; the high-calorie component sugar is replaced with lower-calorie sweeteners. Chemical additives contain virtually no calories.

Constant chewing brings confidence and calms the nerves. It has an elastic consistency and the property of not dissolving over time. This promotes regular and prolonged chewing and can lead to gum addiction. Children, not realizing the harm of chewing gum, chew it all day, and with constant chewing, their attention is dulled and the thinking process slows down. The child cannot concentrate, and academic performance deteriorates.

What happens if you swallow gum

It happens that an adult, lost in thought, can swallow chewing gum. How dangerous is this and what could happen? There is an opinion that swallowed chewing gum attaches to the walls of the stomach for a long time, and when released, it creates a blockage in the intestines. This is a myth, a piece of plastic will simply dissolve gastric juice in a few days.

Video: what chewing gum consists of (harm)

Doctors warn: current addiction to chewing gum will lead to an epidemic in a few years chronic diseases oral cavity and digestive organs.

- What diseases should chewing gum lovers expect?

The fact that chewing gum is hazardous to health is written on every package. It lists a dozen and a half synthetic components, each of which has toxic effect. For example, any gum contains the sweetener aspartame, which is banned in many countries due to its toxicity. For some, it can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and a drop in blood pressure. For others, poisoning may be chronic, as the poison accumulates in the body and causes persistent headaches, fatigue, poor appetite. Few doctors associate these symptoms with chewing gum.

- Not only children, but also adults swallow chewing gum...

Its base is an insoluble synthetic rubber, which can cause intestinal obstruction. Even more dangerous is a sticky lump getting into the respiratory tract - it causes an attack of suffocation, inflammation of the bronchi or lungs.

- Is there an allergy to chewing gum?

Chewing gum contains 12–15 synthetic components, each of which is an allergen that causes skin rashes, bronchial asthma, dysbacteriosis.

- Which chewing gum is most dangerous: colored or white?

Both can cause harm to health. Colored rubber bands are colored with artificial dyes containing poisonous styrene. When chewed, it is released into the mouth and absorbed into the blood, causing headaches, nausea and loss of appetite. White rubber bands are no less dangerous, since titanium white gives them their whiteness. Due to its toxic properties, this dye is prohibited for use in Food Industry in many countries. In Russia, the ban on its use has been lifted.

- At what age can a child be introduced to chewing gum?

Chewing gum is not a candy, but an oral care product. It can be used when it is not possible to brush your teeth.

- Does chewing gum really clean your teeth?

Do not confuse gum with toothpaste. Chewing stimulates the secretion of saliva, which has alkaline reaction. It removes acid plaque formed on teeth after eating. But to make saliva appear in the mouth, you can chew carrots instead of gum. For those with a sweet tooth jelly Bean, containing no sugar. A safe dose can be considered 3-4 pads per day. They can only be used for hygienic purposes after eating. Chewing gum can remain in the mouth for no more than 5 minutes.

- Why is prolonged chewing dangerous?

It overloads temporomandibular joint, leads to exhaustion salivary glands, disrupts bite and pronunciation of sounds. The habit of holding a foreign object in the mouth, formed in childhood, cannot be eradicated in adulthood, so a childhood addiction to chewing gum leads to smoking.

- What are the dangers of chewing this “sweetness”?

You should not chew gum before meals or between meals. Chewing includes everything digestive tract. Stomach, duodenum, pancreas, small intestine begin to secrete juices to digest food. Its absence leads to the digestion of its own mucous membrane, hence chronic gastritis, pancreatitis and colitis. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood that has no use, which increases the risk of developing diabetes mellitus. If the deception of the digestive organs is repeated frequently, they chronic inflammation secured.

- Does gum harm your teeth?

In fact, chewing gum contributes to the destruction of enamel. Whitening pads contain hard granules that scratch the surface of the tooth and can leave a mark, especially on children's enamel. This microcrack is immediately populated by microbes that cause caries.

- Can chewing gum replace a toothbrush?

Chewing gum does not reach the places where plaque usually accumulates. Only a toothbrush can clean the spaces between teeth.

- Does chewing gum eliminate bad breath?

Masking the smell with chewing gum is dangerous. The aroma of breath is most often caused by carious teeth, diseased tonsils or an unhealthy stomach. It is necessary to find the cause of the odor and treat foci of infection, otherwise they can cause serious chronic diseases.

Story

Our ancestors, naturally without even knowing about toothpaste, removed food debris using tree resin. In Siberia, people chewed beeswax, thus strengthening their gums. Over time, technology has stepped forward, but people have not forgotten about chewing gum. And in the 19th century, mass production of chewing gum, known to all mankind, began.

Pros and cons of chewing gum for the body

Teeth cleaning. After eating, dentists advise. It not only cleanses the oral cavity of food debris, but also prevents periodontal disease by massaging the gums. However, chewing gum overuse (chewing for more than 5 minutes) leads to serious illnesses, such as gastritis or stomach ulcers. Whether the body receives a plus or a minus depends only on the person’s attitude towards his health.

Heartburn. Oddly enough, people who periodically suffer from heartburn can be helped by intense salivation, which, in turn, neutralizes the reactions that cause heartburn.

Digestion. If you use chewing gum a few minutes before eating, the body will, as it were, prepare for eating, and the food will be better absorbed and processed. However, if, after chewing gum, the body does not receive the promised food, the harm done will be colossal, especially for those suffering from gastrointestinal diseases.

Hypersalivation of the glands. An increase in salivation is followed by a decrease in the secretion of the salivary glands (dry mouth). This leads to jamming, cracks in the corners of the lips, and can cause dysbacteriosis.

Fillings and crowns. Chewing gum for a long time, as a rule, causes fillings to fall out and greatly loosens crowns.

Bite. Elastic chewing gum disrupts the bite, otherwise it leads to a distortion of the profile of the head.

Microbes. No matter how much you explain, he still won’t stop sticking gum in a secluded place. Bacteria, harmful body, they live in this condition for several more days. They can be the reason sharp deterioration health.

You should not talk or have chewing gum in your mouth. This may cause the latter to enter the respiratory tract. Don't tempt fate, get rid of it in advance.

It turns out that chewing gum is as useful as it is. You need to pamper yourself with this delicacy not only in moderation, but also simply approach the issue of chewing gum wisely.